Scottish Water invest s over £ 85 0million each year on Capital Investment projects, so when it comes to making decisions about how we spend that money, we’re laser-focused on making sure we are meeting the needs of our customers and deliver ing value for money for Scottish taxpayers .

Our Chief Economist’s team plays a crucial role in making that happen . Their expertise is key to developing and deploying strategic and economic analysis, including cost-benefit analysis , to inform our investment plans and decision making .

We’re looking for someone to join the team to help us transform the way we use economic analysis at Scottish Water.

What you’ll do

You will be joining a small team of dedicated specialists to apply economic thinking and analysis t hat create s an evidence base for investment decision making. The goal is to bridge near-term decision making and longer - term progress towards achieving Scotland’s Water Sector Vision at the lowest reasonable economic cost to our customers over the long term.

You can expect to be involved in activities like:

• cost - benefit analysis in Scottish Water for different types of investment choices

• economic analysis underpinni n g our plan s

• evidence for our Strategic Review of Charges

• long-term tariff setting, Principles of Charges and efficiency

• investment appraisal

• pr rojections and monitoring of progress.

A key focus of the Chief Economist’s team is the development of new and innovative analytic processes and tools that collate and process cost and benefit information to compare investment choices against future scenarios. The analysis will inform strategic discussions , enable new approaches and help us monitor our performance as we strive to make Scotland’s Water Sector Vision a reality .

The team support the day-to-day application of Ethical Based Practice and Regulation and work closely with colleagues across many different disciplines. The work involves the design and build of new applications with colleagues and consultants, that present fantastic opportunities to develop your skills in a wide range of areas .

What you’ll need

Not surprisingly, you’ll need a background in economics, ideally within the field of applied economics and/or strategic economic analysis.

While knowledge of the water or utilities industry would be useful, outside perspectives are always valued . So we’re very open to people from other sectors, e.g. academia, government or other public bodies where there is a strong focus on regulatory economics.

It is very likely that you’ll have a post-graduate qualification ( Masters or PhD) in an economic focused discipline , and a record of publishing research in your specialist field . Along the way, you’ll have picked up the art of robust literature reviews and applied research techniques .

You’ll be an advanced Microsoft Excel user , with further skills in other data analysis tools such as R or Power BI .

Communication is key. This role requires collaboration wit h interdisciplinary teams. You’ll n eed to be able to explain complex topics for a variety of different audiences – both verbally and in writing.

Character is important to us. Across the whole of Scottish Water, we look for people who are Bold, Responsible, Inspiring and Caring . (And you can expect these characteristics to make an appearance in your interview with us…)

Looking out for you

While the work we do is important, we know it’s not the only thing that matters. That’s why we make sure you have everything you need to find a good work-life balance .

Y ou’ll get plenty of time to recharge with 38 days of holiday every year (including public holidays). And you can even buy five more if you need a little extra time. You can also take paid time off to volunteer in your community .

When it comes to major life events we have family-friendly policies around adoption, maternity, and parental leave. And for the everyday? We embrace flexible working .

For your future, there’s our pension (the ‘know-what-you’ll-get-when-you-retire’ kind), as well as life assurance.

As for some nice extras? You can expect an annual company bonus. Not to mention access to SW Splash – handy rewards that can save you money on holidays, bills, and shopping.

The not-so-small print

The salary range for this role is £ 45,873 - £58,418.

If you’re interested in this role - please apply today. If you would like to arrange an initial chat to find out more about this role, get in touch with us at SWRecruitment@scottishwater.co.uk

Job offers at Scottish Water are conditional, and will be confirmed on completion of our pre-employment screening, e.g. referencing, criminal record checks, license checks, etc. These checks are conducted on our behalf by a third party. Don’t worry - we’ll ask your permission before starting these checks.